Odeon Sunderland

As highlighted in the article, it is heartening to see that the former Odeon/Black’s Regal still looks very ‘cinematic’ and that so many original features remain. It is regrettable, however, that they saw fit to remove the Compton organ……

Of course, Mecca are one of the few remaining operations owned by the once mighty Rank Organisation so one could argue that it has been under the same ownership since 1955.

Impressed as I am by the appearance of the building, I do not doubt for one moment that, given the opportunity, Rank/Mecca would vacate the building and move to new premises as they have done at the following locations:–

•Gateshead Odeon/Regal (sister cinema to Sunderland and now demolished).

•Stockton ABC Globe (undergoing restoration and arguably equal in architectural merit – or soon will be again – to Sunderland Odeon/Regal).

•Wallsend ABC Ritz (immaculately maintained, as in the case of Sunderland, but closed by Rank/Mecca and subsequently ruined by Wetherspoon’s).

•South Shields Odeon/Regal (demolished apart from FOH).

•South Shields Regent (attempt underway to preserve it but I do not care much for its chances).

Should the Sunderland venue ever cease to serve its current function it is unlikely that , as in the case of Stockton, it will be restored to theatrical use owing to the presence of the 2,000 capacity Empire Theatre so it is indeed to be hoped that Mecca continue to successfully operate their Bingo Club there.

Was this the show with ‘The Bachelors’ or Roy Castle? Either way, it would be interesting to see it and I wish I had known it was still at ABC South Shields when I was there, Dave! Would it be very expensive to have the 35mm filmlet you mention transferred to DVD and uploaded to YouTube?

Thorn-EMI made a mess of Blackpool ABC when, in the tripling process, they isolated the stage (which had a revolve), dressing room block and front stalls all those years ago. It was all reversible, however, just in case the need for large capacities and stage spectaculars should ever return. The acquisition and closure by Odeon and subsequent conversion to ‘The Syndicate’ put paid to that, however.

Wow Terry, thank you so much for the information. I’ll check the sites out on the computer as I’ll get a better image. Bet they were very impressive cinemas.

I remember Big Daddy coming to The Savoy too, was packed. The odeon screen 1 screen was big, not many of the old cinemas had big screens but that one certainly did. All the ones I worked at had relatively small screens compared to the auditorium. Thankfully the new Odeon at Metrocentre has very large screens, incl an IMAX theatre, awesome!! The last cinema I worked at was Blyth and it is now a Wetherspoon pub but hasn’t changed much to when it was the cinema, a very sympathetic converion. I was projectionist there for many years, loved it.

Not to sureJohn, I didn’t know any of them till they come to the savoy and then after it closed in 1984 for the final time, never saw them again. PS do you know if the Studios 1234 in Newcastle was also operated by Fairworld, I sometimes used to see the occasional film there, if I’d missed it at one of the bigger cinemas. Remember seeing Mahogony there, the Diana Ross film. They didn’t have very big screens, I think smaller than the one in my home cinema.

They also run/managed the cinema your dad worked at, The Studios although was named The Eros by then. I never knew where that cinema was.

Cheers Guys, some good comments and stirring of memory’s there! I remembered Terry and I discussing that his Dad had also been a Chief projectionist, as usual this was over pints in one of the pubs we all frequented after work before running off to catch the bus with the sound of 2-3 fresh pints glugging away as we ran! Never spilt a drop!! As Lawrence mentioned we did socialise after work and the cinema managers at Shield’s used to hire the local pub for an after work party once a month, it must be said that was great. I must ask, Gogsy and Dave who were those management guys, I have a Ray in my mind but either way they had a great approach and a unique style to cinema management. When it came to me moving on to another job in Durham at the Classic they organised a whip round, bought the presents and made me feel like a departing son rather than someone deserting the sinking ship. About a month later they called me back and gave me a big wad of cash from a tax rebate, it was totally unexpected, we sat down, chatted how my new job was going and I felt they genuinely cared. A great crew. Gogsy, I was sad to hear about Vera, she was on the ball with her sense of humour and the pair of you made a great team, so sorry for your loss mate. Mr Bage, retired at 55, go get a paper round! I’m 56 this year and would hate to be retired, these are the best part of your life and social interaction on a daily basis paramount to enjoying life. If your going to sit about then start writing a fictional book, talk about cinema’s, the unique bits, the people, their lives and how we interacted, the small feuds, the glory days of queue’s around the block or playing a 3 hour movie to one sleeping pensioner on a new years eve, write something about the growth of poverty that bled out of the miner’s strike that placed a noose around many a cinema. This could be called your “Boy’s from the Celluloid” moment. Best do it before Terry, Gogsy and I beat you to it! I’m sure one of us could produce something to match “Cinema Paradiso” or am I looking at this with Technicolor eyes?? Cheers Guys, keep the faith!

Needless to say, I have very happy memories of Sunderland Odeon which was one of the most impressive and best equipped venues in the country. It was the favourite cinema of both my Mum and Dad and they remembered going there (Blacks' Regal) in the 1930’s when, as part of the programme, there were stage presentations and recitals at the Compton Organ. I think my Dad said the Musical Director was Arnold Eagle.

For the record, my Dad had been a Chief Projectionist at one time and he was trained by a Gaumont man by the name of Tommy Bell who later worked for Blacks as Co-Chief at the Regal before transferring to the Royal on Bedford Street as the Chief where he was very much at home.

When I used to ask my Dad how the ABC Ritz compared with Blacks Regal he would reply that he would have liked the Ritz more if , at the 11th hour, ABC had not cancelled the Compton organ which it was designed to house (the chambers were above the proscenium).

I always got the impression that, large as the Ritz was at just over 1900 seats, the original project had been scaled down by the time the final plans were drawn up and building work commenced. I mention this as, in towns of similar size with cinemas like the Regal already established, ABC invariably provided a theatre with well in excess of 2000 seats, a fully equipped stage, a restaurant – and an organ! I wonder what went wrong in Sunderland?

I have happy memories of your Dad, John, by the way and our ‘after work pints’ in the likes of ‘The Park Inn’ and ‘The Beehive’……

Wow! Small world, I remember you coming through to the Cannon Classic in Durham in ‘84 to see Peggy the manager, that must have been the last time we met up. Yes, the show in South Shields, we had some good fun with the cast and the team we had in the cinema was all shiny and new. It was strange to start work at a cinema and spend the first couple of weeks removing the balcony seats and working up on a gantry controlling the curtains for a pantomime! Anyway, glad to see you stayed in the business, are you still involved in it? The spy who loved me! I showed that at the Odeon all those years ago, there was always an excitement when a new Bond came out and the first weeks queue’s went round the corner, sadly it was only the 1st week and the full houses soon stopped. As a child I remember standing in the rain to see a film, the queue went all the way out of the cinema along the back lane and wound its way to the back doors of the ABC, sadly those days had gone by the time I was an adult! Pass my best to Lawrence, hope he’s still with his wife from back in the day, they were a nice close couple and suited each other. All the best.

hello southofgtown, been great reading your memories of working in the cinema business and for a while our paths crossed when we both worked at The Savoy Entertainment Centre in South Shields. I went on to working at The Wallaw Blyth for 13-14 years, firstly on front of house and then when it became a 3 screen cinema, as projectionist. I also worked briefly for Warner Bros at their site in Bury, Manchester as Manager, but sadly couldnt settle into the role or venue, so back I came to the North East. I remember with fond affection visiting the Odeon Sunderland as a customer, with my cousin to see a few films, one being James Bond, The Spy who loved me, great film. It has been a pleasure to read your message, I have fond memories of your lyrics to a song from the panto at The Savoy ‘why does everybody call me’ and dont think ill ever forget the little limerick ‘keep your trousers up’,I know it off bat and this must be 30yrs+. David.

I worked at this cinema for 5 years up until it closed, Richard Carlisle, Billy Souter and Keith (sorry the surname is lost in time to me) were the last of the cinema projectionists to see the place out. I was 17 when I started and worked with some great people there, along with the cinema stuff we also had a couple of wrestling bouts and a couple of “God” rock concerts to go with the aforementioned Organ concerts. It was a great shame to see the cinema close but due to times being tough in the area and the high tariffs put onto showing films by the movie companies the life was taken out of the business. Indeed when I was made redundant from the Odeon it took me 18 months to get back on my feet again and find a job when they re-opened the cinema in Ocean Road South Shields, thank god for the guys who invested in that place. All in all, I remember the Odeon, its staff, the laughs we all had, the trainee from the ABC who came down for a box of 35mm perforations as they’d been supplied a film reel without any (thank you for sending him over knacker-Ned!),beers in the Blandford and the Beehive pub’s and the close-knit team we had. I thank my Dad (one of the greatest cinema projectionists to grace the cinema’s of Sunderland!!), for initially training me up down at the Studio’s 1 and 2 in 1977. Working with him was a great experience for any father and son (I paid him back when I got him a job on the Cruise Liners!). You know what, though the cinema’s as I remember them are long gone, without them I wouldn’t have had the good life I have, without the people I wouldn’t be who I am now and I am so lucky and proud to say that I worked in the industry. I could tell you more about my upbringing and spending summers on the rooftops of Studio 1 and 2, coming in when it rained and watching a film in Studio one in what was for years my family’s private viewing balcony but they are my memories, cheers for reading.

Auditorium photo uploaded.